Vocal Habilitation Professional Scope Of Practice
The Vocal Habilitation Professional (VHP) has:
- Already qualified as a Vocal Health First Aider (VHFA) and agreed to the VHFA scope of practice.
- Completed at least 20 hours of continuing professional development training in Vocal Pedagogy prior to the awarding of the title VHP, not including VHP or VHFA course hours.
- Completed at least 1,000 hours of relevant teaching by the time the VHP title is awarded.
- Completed 30 hours of online seminars in a broad range of related topics through the VHP training (Module 1)
- Participated in at least six hours of assessed group work discussing individual case studies through the VHP training (Module 2).
- Undergone a minimum of three hours of assessed individual mentoring with an expert SVS or VRC and completed an assessed reflective journal of the process through the VHP training (Module 3)
- Passed an interview lasting up to an hour with an advanced rehabilitation specialist (Module 4)
The Vocal Habilitation Professional will:
- Have demonstrated the ability to apply their knowledge of the biopsychosocial causes of voice problems, including: a range of working environments, the impact of psychological stressors on voice function, evaluating vocal loading, awareness of overall wellbeing and lifestyle factors
- Have demonstrated the ability to apply their knowledge of the impact of a range of musical genres and professional working environments on vocal health, for both professional and amateur singers
- Understand the changes to the voice over a lifetime, and be able to apply this knowledge to their interactions with a client
- Know and understand the role/s of the other professionals who are part of the rehabilitative team
- Be able to follow on from work undertaken by a Vocal Rehabilitation Specialist with longer-term habilitative singing voice work, rebuilding healthy vocal function after injury or dysphonia
- Be able to habilitate a singer with muscle tension dysphonia and no vocal fold pathology using vocal function exercises
- Know when to refer a singer for clinical assessment or help from a professional in another field
- Receive ongoing supervision and support from Vocal Health Education